Awakening Elementary School System in University

By the time they arrived at Jinmen International Airport, night had long since fallen. The streetlights outside the terminal stretched out the shadows of pedestrians.

It was already past nine in the evening. After rushing around all day, even with a constitution enhanced by "Little Champion," Chen Lin felt a deep sense of exhaustion.

He first hailed a cab and took the equally weary Shen Yan back to her dorm. He watched her figure disappear past the entrance before returning to his own rented apartment.

Chen Lin went through his evening routine almost on instinct, then flopped onto his soft bed. He was dead to the world the moment his head hit the pillow.

The night passed uneventfully.

「The next morning, August 26th, a Tuesday.」

Feeling refreshed and invigorated, Chen Lin ambled over to the second floor of the co-working space.

However, the moment he pushed open the glass office door, he saw a graceful, beautiful figure sitting at the empty workstation by the window—the one Huang Yiyi had reserved for the new assistant.

Long, slightly curled, light brown hair rested softly on her shoulders. Sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, coating the ends of her hair in a faint golden halo.

Hearing the door open, the figure turned, and a bright, sunny, pretty face came into Chen Lin’s view.

The Yunqing of today was completely different from the image Chen Lin had of her as a fashionably dressed arts department belle.

She wore a black silk blouse, the design of its collar adding a touch of just-right elegance.

Below, a short, black, form-fitting skirt hugged her perky curves, and her long, slender legs were perfectly outlined by a layer of black stockings.

Chen Lin’s mind subconsciously conjured an image of Shen Yan’s outfit from the day before, and he found himself secretly making a comparison.

If Shen Yan in professional attire gave off the feeling of a campus belle just entering the workforce, then the Yunqing before him was the spitting image of a female lead from a workplace drama, straight out of a short video clip!

While Chen Lin was still gawking, Yunqing had already clicked over to him in her high heels, bringing a faint, elusive fragrance with her as she came to a graceful stop.

"Senior, what are you doing here?" Chen Lin asked, already knowing the answer. His voice was laced with resignation.

Yunqing saw his expression and a cunning smile touched her lips. She retorted, "What, only Yanyan is allowed to intern? Your senior isn’t allowed to apply for a job?"

Before Chen Lin could reply, she clasped her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and her bright eyes curved into two smiling crescents. She cut off any potential retreat: "I passed Sister Yiyi’s interview fair and square, based on my own abilities! As the boss, you can’t abuse your power and fire me for some random reason, hehe."

Chen Lin felt a massive headache coming on. He looked past Yunqing, casting a pleading gaze toward Huang Yiyi, who stood nearby.

Huang Yiyi seemed to have anticipated this. She stood up calmly, nodded at Chen Lin, and reported in a professional tone, "President Chen, Yunqing’s academic performance is excellent, and her interview was the best of all the candidates I’ve met. More importantly, she served as an officer in the Student Union’s secretariat and was the head of the planning department. She has extensive experience in administration and event organization."

She took a few steps closer and continued, "My plan is to have her start by taking over most of my administrative tasks. Then, she’ll be in charge of our team’s logistics, like daily meals and future team-building activities. Once she gets the hang of it, I’ll gradually introduce her to some legal and business affairs."

Huang Yiyi’s explanation was clear, logical, and well-reasoned, completely shutting down any potential excuse Chen Lin might have used to object.

Still not giving up, Chen Lin made one last attempt. He looked at Yunqing and asked, "Senior, aren’t you a fourth-year? You’re about to graduate. Shouldn’t you be focusing on finding a full-time job?"

"I *am* looking for a full-time job," Yunqing replied matter-of-factly, blinking. "I plan to intern here at ’Yanhai’ and then transition to a full-time position after graduation. Isn’t that the best choice?"

"..."

Chen Lin’s headache grew worse the more he listened. Just as he was about to say something else, a voice laced with confusion suddenly came from the office entrance.

"Senior?"

It was Shen Yan. Today, she had changed back into her usual high-school-student-like style of a simple T-shirt and jeans. She was holding a few thick textbooks, her face a mask of surprise as she stared at the dramatic scene in the office.

"Yanyan, you’re here!"

Yunqing reacted as if she’d seen a long-lost relative, immediately running over affectionately to link arms with Shen Yan, chattering away in greeting.

Shen Yan obviously hadn’t expected to see Yunqing here either, but since they were already on good terms, they quickly fell into conversation.

"What do you think? Nice, right?" Yunqing noticed Shen Yan sizing up her outfit and spun around smugly. Then, she asked with some confusion, "Don’t we have to wear a uniform to work here? I even bought a whole new set just for the job."

"Actually, there’s no strict dress code," Chen Lin explained subconsciously from the side. "It’s mainly Sister Yiyi who’s very professional and is just used to dressing that way."

The words had barely left his mouth when Chen Lin suddenly realized what he’d done.

’Damn, how did I get sidetracked by her?’

He had been looking for a chance to bring the conversation back to persuading Yunqing to quit.

But now, looking at the two stunning beauties standing together, smiling sweetly, each captivating in her own way, he suddenly found that the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat.

And Yunqing gave him no such opportunity.

She had already received her first assignment from Huang Yiyi: solve the lunch problem for everyone in the company and arrange a celebratory dinner for that evening.

To be fair, putting aside all the messy personal feelings, Chen Lin felt that based on ability alone, Yunqing was definitely not a problem. She was perfectly capable of handling the job.

In the two weeks since the company was founded, everyone had been handling their own lunch. They would either order takeout individually or walk over to the off-campus food street together, which was both time-consuming and limited in options.

Chen Lin’s original plan was that after the school year started, he and Shen Yan could eat at the cafeteria, while Huang Yiyi and Sun Yu could go to the specialty stalls on the cafeteria’s third floor. It was convenient, but it lacked a sense of team spirit.

But as soon as Yunqing took over, the whole situation changed in an instant.

First, she directed Chen Lin and Sun Yu to push two spare desks together in a corner of the office by the window, creating a dedicated dining area.

Then, phone in hand, she decisively pre-ordered today’s lunch from a highly-rated private kitchen off campus.

A little before eleven-thirty, Yunqing returned, leading a delivery guy and laden with bags of all sizes.

As the exquisite insulated food containers were opened one by one on the makeshift dining table, an enticing aroma of food instantly filled the entire office.